Influence of Turkic North Pole Star Tradition on Chinese Culture

Considered as the rotation axis of the northern celestial hemisphere, north pole star was called altun qazŋuq “gold stake” in OT (Old Turkic). The article finds that Turkic north pole star tradition exerted its influence on Chinese culture twice. At the first time, the Chinese transcribed OT qazŋuq into gōzhèn (勾陳) in the Warring States period. And at the second time, the transmission took place in the Qing dynasty, when the government tried to confirm that the huge rock called altan γadasu in Mongolian was the origin of the Yellow River, the Mongolian translation of OT altun qazŋuq was translated into “gold north pole star” (黃金北極星).